House Budget Report

UPDATE on the FY2013 State Budget, as passed by the House on April 25:

Early Education and Care

The final House budget for these programs was $7.5 million less than for FY2012 (down 1.5 percent, from $506.6 to $499.1 million); around $800,000 was added by amendment.

PreK-12 Education

Total House funding for PreK-12 Education, including Chapter 70 Aid, as well as grant programs was increased by 4.4 percent over FY12, up from $4.5 billion to $4.7 billion, an increase of almost $200 million. Over $8 million was added by amendment, including:

$1.5 million more for METCO, restoring funding to FY12 level plus a 2.8 percent increase.

One of Governor’s proposed Gateway Cities programs restored, Career Academies, funded at $500,000 (House 2 had proposed $1 million). The House had proposed to fund only one Gateway Cities proposals (ELL Program) and at a lesser amount ($2.6 million rather than $3.75 million). House 2 had proposed five Gateway Cities programs, for a total of $10 million, while the final House budget proposes to fund only two programs, for a total of $3.1 million.

Language was added in the ELL Gateway Cities program for English language acquisition professional development and implementation of sheltered English immersion, with $850,000 earmark.

Several programs were restored to the budget by amendment, including:

Impact Aid Shortfall Mitigation Fund, to assist towns negatively impacted by shortfalls in federal impact aid for the education of children in families employed by the federal government on military reservations, restored at FY12 level of $1.3 million.

Alternative Education Grants, restored at FY12 level of $146,000.

Funding was restored or increased from FY12 for several other programs, including:

Advanced Placement Math and Science – this new program for FY13 was funded by House Ways and Means at $1 million, and then increased to $1.75 million.

Higher Education

Total House funding for higher education increased by 6 percent over FY12, including the collective bargaining reserves, from $982 million to $1.041 billion, up $59 million over FY12, including $3.6 million added by amendment. House 2 had proposed an increase of $63 million (to $1.045 billion).

Scholarship Aid restored to FY12 level of $87.6 million (added $1.1 million to House Ways and Means budget), the same as the House 2 proposal.

Outside Section 87, requiring the Commissioner of Higher Education to develop a funding formula for community colleges, was amended in the first paragraph, to add that the Commissioner must now consult with the MTA, in addition to the presidents:

“SECTION 87. The commissioner of higher education, in consultation with the presidents of the community colleges and representatives of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, shall develop a funding formula for the community colleges which incorporates the allocation of appropriations to the individual community colleges based, in part, on performance. In developing the system of allocations, the commissioner and community college presidents shall consider: (1) accurate enrollment data for each college and the operational goals and needs for each college; (2) institutional performance with respect to clearly defined goals and metrics; and (3) the relationship of the allocation formula to state initiatives relative to innovation and institutional action in support of workforce development, partnerships with commonwealth businesses and industry, collaboration with state universities and vocational-technical schools, and overall revenue available to each institution.”

Other changes to Section 87 included:

The goals and metrics must include the educational goals and metrics included in the Vision Project, and, the BHE is authorized to provide grants to community colleges to: coordinate purchasing, consolidate information, undertake innovative service delivery, engage in collaboration to reduce costs and promote quality, and improve student learning outcomes assessments as set forth by the Vision Project.